Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-03-22
The Bay State Democrat.
{. Club.

quite nNmDef OF ulSGlnSuISheu11 cH y
ocrats from the West and South were
present, and among the orators re-
occasion, as we have heretofore noted,
we're such men as Speaker Carlisle,
of Kentucky Congressman Springer
of Illinois, and Congressmaa Wiisota5
of West Virgins. The Boston Globe
calls Mr.. Wilson s. West Virginia.
eloquent son. Here is a short e3S-
tract from his speech that is both IN
teresting and instructive to West Viz
ginians:
When the American people csiiled
Grover Cleveland to the Office of Pres
ident, they demanded q change OF men
and change ofmethods chapgepf
men, not as the primary and chief obi
iect, but in the old and familiar lah-
guage of the Catechism, GAS the out
ward and visible sigaof an inward and
spiritual change. Tremendous APP
plause and cries of +" Good" and
cheers. II welhave come into power
simply for the spoils of Office, fellow
Democrats, let.us eat, drink and be
merry. for tomorrow we die" APP
plause and laughter. There are to-
day confronting us as grave questions
of public policy. as ever called for tie
thoughtful, serious, patriotic and self
sacrificing attention. of free people.
believe that here in our party-and
in our party aIoue-in those plain,
fundamental principles which have
never been stated with more clearness
and force than by your distinguished
guest this evening, in those principles
and those alone have we the solution
Of those great issues We have passed
into an era of high government
Naturally, because OF the growth or
the country, the growth of its great
cities, it's railroads., its corporations,
but allowing for all this it must
strike every thoughtful man that We.
are already passing far beyond thelim-
/ its of safety for the present and safe
ty for the future. When the speak
er's gavel fell in the Fotty-eighth
Congress the distinguished guest of
this evening, whom you honor your
selves by honoring to-day-(cries of
I" Good!" and applause )-stated to
the House that more bills had been
! introduced into that House than had
been introduced into the first twenty
five Congresses of the country; and
the record of the Forty-ninth Con-
gress, which closed last week. sur
passes the record of the forty-eighth.
Congress to-day is invited and urged
into fields which no government ought
to enter, and which least Of all ought
Federal government to enter, ac-
cording to our theories of American
institutions. II the Republican party
lives to-day for any object whatever.
it is to preach the doctrine that the
highest function of government, the
highest reach of sovereignty is to he
used to make one class of men in this
country happy and prosperous in
their business. If government. if the
great power of taxation can he used
to secure success and prosperity to
one class, then why not to ana,haeeI
and to all c1asses And If any fone
set of men have the right to demand
that government shall make them sace
cessful and happy, why haven't all
men the same right? and why
should any citizen be in want or
distress if we can legiSlate all,into
prosperity and plenty. Fcllow-cit-
liens, we are moving. / say, into an
era when the government is to he
every mans father, his patron, his
employer, his guide, philosopher and
friend when the government is to I'M
dertalle to do what that benevolent
character in England said: "rhcrc
shall be no widows, for will husband
them all, and no orphans for I will
father them all. Laughter and APP
pIause. Now fellow-ctizens, it is to
meet this idea in the dangerous ex-
IRENE to which it has already reached
that is, in my Judgment the mission
of the Democratic party to-day.
This is what the Boston Herald says
of Mr.. Wilson's speech:
Hon. w. L. Wilson, of West Vir-
ginia, followed in an imprisoned
speech. A small, slightly built, but
most buoyant man. is Mr.. Wilson,
youthful in appearance, with thin
mustache and straight, smooth brown
hair. His rhetoric was perhaps the
most striking of that Of any of the
orators of the day. Apt quotations,
startling antitheses. pointed iIlustra-
tinns, brilliant descriptive passages.
cpigram and witticism followed in
| such rapid succession as to tread
upon each others heels. while the
speaker. giving himself to the cur
rent. as If horne onward in the ruSll-
ing stream of his own el0quencc. was
sw1yed hither and thither. now bend
ing downward, now rising On tiNtoe
as he reached climax. and al every
point calling forth bursts of applause,
which at times seemed likely 70 drown
the ringing voice which never once
paused nor faltered until the final
climax was reached.
IFor the Spirit of 'efrersoa.l
Senator Lucas.
TIL" SOreheads and henchm2n of til" StGnl-
ard OF! Company's Ex-senator may attempt to
Gust doubt upon Senator Lucas appointment,
lN1,tn Ia,